Dear Mom and Dad,

I know this is going to be strange for you. Typically, I come home from college for summer and spend it with you. But this year it is going to be different - and I know that will be hard on all of us.

I won't have you right there for me when I come home from a hard day at work. But I will be able to call you. So mom, prepare yourself for the phone call often at 5pm. I promise to have some crazy story, vent, or just say hi.

Dad, I won't be able to bug you about how we don't have food in the house. Because now I am adulting and it is all on me. But know that I will still ask you for money when my fridge seems to have nothing but jelly and my cabinet only has peanut butter and stale bread.

So yes some things are going to be the same and some things are going to be different, but I want you to know that I will still be home. I am ready to venture out into the world of work and discover life outside of a dorm room and your home. I am ready to see if I can survive on my own, but still have you to fall back on when things aren't going right.

Trust me, I am completely scared. It is crazy to think that I am old enough to move out and get a place of my own, even if it is temporary. But, you have raised a strong independent girl that wants to make you proud. I am going to try my best every day to show you what I am capable of. I am going to go on adventures, meet new people, see new things, and experience what it is like to be completely on my own.

As I said before, I promise to still call and visit. I also expect you to make random visits to see me too. After all, you're my parents, the ones that raised me, and the ones I look up to the most.

Thank you for believing in me, pushing me to do my best, and encouraging me to discover the world for myself.

Love,

Your daughter